Excuses, Excuses

OK. This might not be popular with at least half of the Wings fan base, but I really have to get these Osgood thoughts down. The arguing on Twitter doesn't need to stop. But it does need to be kept in perspective. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, just remember that an opinion is not a fact. Oh, and one other thing before I continue: Nobody is a bigger fan than somebody else. You are not the fanniest fan in fandom. Here is a statement that makes you look like a totally retarded jackass, "I guess I'm just a bigger/better fan than you are." Oh, and just because you have liked a team longer it doesn't give you the right to be the mayor of Doucheville. It's not a seniority contest.

Now on to the whole Osgood thing that seems to be ripping our souls apart.

Last night's game showed us a couple of things. Osgood still does not have his head on and it probably won't happen this season. And 2, the defense plays a totally different game from a hole in front of Osgood. Now before someone jumps up and shouts that I am saying the team plays like shit in front of Osgood on purpose, that's not what I said. I think that the Osgood softies are in the back of everyone's mind and the D is getting caught out of position because they are pinched in a little too much or putting themselves in an odd position trying to keep it in at the blueline.

Here is something else that is missing. Rafalski's breakout passes. I'm sorry but I just don't think that the other D, with the exception of Lidstrom, can break it out as cleanly. They should take the Kindl route. Yes he has made some mistakes, but I be digging his breakouts. Instead of trying to make a bajillion mile breakout pass from the half boards, he's carrying the puck out of his own zone and doesn't think about passing until he's past his own blueline. That's a good way of cutting down your turnovers at the blueline.

All right, let's get down to brass tacks here.

All through the off season up until this very moment there has been a debate raging. It has gotten more heated than East coast rap VS. West coast rap. It has more nerdly stats and obscure factoids than Trekkies VS. Star Warsians. (I don't know what Star Wars people call themselves.)

OSGOOD.

Here is an argument that I just do not agree with. "Your back-up goaltender just needs to be serviceable enough to give the starter a break." That's so wrong it can't get no wronger. The back-up should be this hungry caged animal that wants his shot at number one. He should come in and steal the show. He has to be able to step in and carry games if the starter goes down. I want to say, "Holy shit, who the fuck is this guy." The back-up should be like when you put your hand in a pocket of a coat that you haven't worn in awhile and find a twenty dollar bill. It shouldn't be like putting your hand in and finding that a pen exploded leaving you with a big mess. If you order a steak at a fancy restaurant, you don't settle for a bologna sandwich because the back-up chef is having an off night, or hasn't cooked in awhile.

How about this one. "The offense needs to score more than a couple of goals to give your goalie a chance." Well if the goalie is doing his job technically the offense only needs to score one goal. In reality that is not going to happen. Plus I for one want curly fries and fucking beat downs. But the fact is that they are playing professional teams that have defenses and goaltenders as well. It's in the tight low scoring affairs that the goalie has to shine. If the goalie shits the bed in the first period, the game is totally different. It's easy to say, "Come on guys, you have to score 3 or 4 goals now." It's not that simple though. The opposition now gets to play shut down or prevent defense. Clog up the neutral zone. And now you have to take more chances which leads to more mistakes.

Stats be damned. Anybody can skew the stats to work in their favor. Technically I am a .500 goaltender with a 0.00 goals against average. See how I did that? Forget the fact that I never goaltended a game in my life. All of your past stats don't mean shit if you can't win now. Every positive stat from a long career can be countered by a negative stat from a player on the decline from the last couple of years.

This is not fueled by hatred for Osgood. Personally I want to see him get his 400. But I can't make that happen and neither can any of you. Only Osgood can. Throw away every argument ever committed to the digital annals of the interwebs, for or against, and it boils down to this. Osgood, step the fuck up and take those games son. I don't care if the Mighty Ducks are playing in front of you, (the team at the beginning of movie, not the polished group of ragtag losers we see at the end.) No more excuses. Slam that door shut. But if you don't want to do that then don't waste any more game time and let somebody in who is not content with charting face-offs.

Make Room on your Mantel Jimmah

Last year the Calder went to Steve Mason of the Blue Jackets. His stats were as follows: Wins-33, Losses-20, Goals against average-2.29, Save percentage-.916, and Shutouts-10. Those are very nice stats for a rookie goaltender. With 7 games left to go for the Red Wings, Jimmy Howard's stats are as follows: Wins-32, Losses-15, GAA-2.24, SV%-.926, and Shutouts-2. He should pass Mason's win totals. He will have less losses than Mason. His GAA and SV% should remain better as well. The only statistical category Mason has over Howard is shutouts. Big Whoop-de-doo.

People are saying he should be up for the Vezina, which would be cool, but after Ryan Miller's year with the Sabres and his outstanding Olympic performance he is probably a shoe-in.

The other award that Howard has to be seriously considered for is the Hart. If he is nominated, here is why he would have an above average chance. 1. I don't think the Wings would have had as good of a chance of making the playoffs without him in net. I know they are technically not for sure in yet, but I have faith. Just as much faith that Bertuzzi will perform a no-look-spin-o-rama-pass to no one in particular in each of the last seven games. Let's face it, Jimmy kept them in games when their offense was sputtering. Not only kept them in, but won those games.

I also think that the top offensive players will cancel each other out. If you take Ovechkin out of the line up, they still had performers. Without him they wouldn't have done as well, but they still would have made the playoffs, 'cause hey, it's the Leastern. Same with Sedin, Crosby, and Marleau. Most of these players play with others on their teams that make them look as good as they do statistically. There have been parts of this season that rested on Jimmy's shoulders. The same as Kopitar for LA and Bryzgalov for Phoenix.

You never know which way the NHL will go with these awards. If it were up to Bettmen, Crosby would win them all including the Vezina. But if Jimmah rocks it out these last seven games he can have Osgood as his +1 at the banquet to help him carry his awards home.

Zachy love Wingys

I am a Red Wings fan. I bleed red. That's funny because we all do. Plus it annoys me when fans say things like that. I'm a huge fan of (insert team here) and I bleed (insert team color here). What? Are you a fan or a fucking alien?

This will be a little like a state of the season address. This has been a rough season so far and I am hoping they can make a little push here before the Olympic break. I will get back to the Olympics a little later. I am in the camp of Ozzy is no longer our #1. Here's why. He is still mentally off. Yes he popped the clutch in the playoffs, but those are not the only games you play. There are still these ones called 'regular season games'. Games that the Wings desperately need right now. Goalies are the easiest to pick on since they are the last line of defense. And we can quibble about good goals and bad goals, soft goals and deflections, but the fact of the matter is that you have to play out of your mind sometimes. You need to be Beyond Thunderdome. Make those awesome saves that are a symbolic middle finger to your detractors and the rest of the NHL.

I am not sold on Jonathan Ericsson. I have heard the nickname Big Rig bandied about. Yeah, a big rig being driven by a little old lady down the freeway at 35 mph with her blinker on. I call him Palmolive. For his big soft hands in the wrong situations. Another puck given up at the circle? Oh Jonny, you're soaking in it. And then sometimes he is like Lenny from Of Mice and Men when he accidentally strokes the puck too hard and kills it for an icing. The thing is even though I say these things I do see the unlimited potential. Oh, and one more thing Jonny, FUCKING HIT SOMEBODY! You need to knock the shit out of them, not practice frotteurism.

Ville Leino, don't make me sic the Finnish Mafia on you. The Finn in me wants you to be a superstar, so quit taking your sweet ass time to get there. Especially after making your demands, because right now you should be the Griffins jock washer.

So far this season the thing that makes my heart happiest is Kung Fu Hustle. That is the Draper, Helm, and Eaves line. Draper looks like he's about 5 years younger playing with those boys. The speed of that line creates great opportunities in all aspects of the game.

Abdelkader hasn't done anything special lately, but I think his role has changed and I like what he does on the ice. So Williams, you better do something special since Abs of Steel was sent back down for you. Or I find you and break another bone so the lines can be set again.

I know some of the vets are having off years but I am not worried about that. What I think has really hurt this year is obviously the injuries and the impact that has had with the inconsistency of the lines. As soon as a line clicks, someone gets injured or someone gets healthy and the lines get rearranged. And that has impacted missed assignments in the defensive zone.

I may be a ritard and talking out of my ass but if we can at least make the playoffs and keep that streak alive I am o.k. with that. When life gives you lemons, squeeze those lemons into a glass of vodka and get drunk during the game. It works for me.

My wife and I have met a lot of Wings fans internetally this past year and they have been really cool. You want to know how cool. This cool. herm2hockeytown.com/ Go to that site and do the right thing. (Sadly, only 2 people will go there because I only have 3 readers and one of them is my wife).

This has gotten quite long enough so I will save my rant about pros in the Olympics for another time.